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Your goalkeeper can make a save from a ball shot from over half the pitch, then drop it and stand there while a player from the opposing runs half the pitch to take it and score. The goalkeeper will not do anything.

It is possible to win a match and never have a shot.

A single player can score 6 goals in a match by himself and have them all counted offside.

Santos is mean.

Yeah...interesting month. The Santos match was especially painful as they weren't good; we just sucked. And not in a bad way...more in a way that make you want to curl up in a corner and cry over the collective sadness of your squad. I ended up fining my captain a weeks wages over that match for a mistake leading to a goal and then giving away a penalty shot. His end rating... 3.4.

Other than that, the month went fairly good. We're getting results, albiet winning in odd ways (how to you win a match without even a single shot?!?!). But hey, I'll take it.

Copa Kia do Brasil

We were up against our old foe, Fortaleza in the 2nd Round. It was a closer affair than I would have hoped. The first match was saved by a corner in the 93rd minute. We took it back home for the second match and were able to hang on for the win.

The Standings

Still in 3rd place, but we have qualified for the playoffs as well. There are only 2 matches left in the regular season, so most places are already decided. Still not happy with the amount of goals that we're giving away, but rather than them being spread out, we onyl give them away in blow outs. I guess that means, most days, we're alright. I can life with that...for now.

I havent got a clue how this Brazilian league works. I see qualified and if I see champions at the end of it I say well done .

Please explain.

Originally Posted by markyosullivan

I don't have a clue how it works either, but it seems like Cerud is doing well

Originally Posted by JackJCFC

Great work to finish ahead of the likes of Santos and Corinthians.

Alright, I'll try and explain the Brazilian league and pyramid system

Any club, year to year, is in two leagues, a national league and a state league.

First, the state leagues. Brazil has 27 states, each with their own league. Clubs within that state compete for the state Championship, in our case, the Paulistão. You can be relegated from this league (although FM doesn't have lower state leagues). This occurs in the first half of the year, beginning in January and going to about May-June.

Now, each state league sets themselves up differently. Some has opening/closing stages, some use a playoff system, some don't. It all depends on which state you're in. In addition, in each state will be clubs from all national levels meaning that you will be playing in a state league with clubs in the lower leagues and clubs in the .

Second, the national leagues. These are the league that everyone knows about, with the Brasileirão at the top followed by Série B, Série C, Série D, and the lower leagues. When comparing Brazilian leagues to other worldwide, this league system is what is used.

The Quarter Finals saw us drawn against Santos. They had hit us hard during the regular season, so to get a dominant win as we did was very satisfying. Unfortunately, our next match was against Palmeiras. We had just played them in our final match of the season and lost. So to face them against was always going to be difficult. We made a game of it and didn't let up, but they were simply too strong.

Copa Kia do Brasil

This was a disappointing win. It should have been by a much higher score.

The Standings

We finished the regular season in 3rd place, but it's still the higher clubs, the Brasileirão that we have troube against. I'm not sure what to really expect in this new upcoming national league. I expect it will be a fight for survival.

In other news, we just had our junior coaching upgraded to "Good". Hopefully, our youth prospects continue to be as good as they have been!

The beginning of a new league. It's been a lot more difficult; we're giving away leads, which is always annoying. The one thing I need is a new goalkeeper. Mine has dropped to on 2.5 stars and doesn't look like he's about to improve. It's odd...his abilities seem as though he should be alright, but then he goes out and does the most stupid things I can think of. Brilliant at times, yes, but that one bad move always ends up costing up.

Copa Kia do Brasil

Our disappointing win last month against Rio Branco was made up for in a dominant showing at home. It brought us to Brasileirão side, Atlético Mineiro. THis was a hard fought two matches, which we were able to finally hang onto a win. I hope this helps us in change our league play now.

The Standings

Sitting currently in the middle of the pack. It's odd not to see Santos here as they were relegated last year. And now, Corinthians has had a horrible start to the new campaign. If we cn maintain out current level, I'm hoping our budgets will increase from new year and we can make a decent push. Right now, we are making money, but it's not much.

A good showing in the Paulistao, and a decent start in the big league. The 2-1 losses would appear to be competitive at least, so no bad results yet. To me that suggests that if form holds up and injuries stay away, you should be able to gather enough points to survive - surely the first aim is survival - and if you get a run on at some stage maybe push up the table a bit.
Making the semi-finals of the Copa Kia do Brasil is no small matter either. All good stuff.

And thanks for your explanation of the Brasil system earlier on, I was among the confused who now thinks they understand enough to get by.

Good campaign in the state league, unlucky against Palmeiras but I guess they were just too strong. Decent start to the league as well, hopefully you can maintain a mid table position!

Originally Posted by Welsh Wizard

Great finish in the Paulista. Palmeiras just too strong. Great result vs Santos even with them being relegated. Do they still have there best players(Ganso, Neymar) or have they gone to euro?

Decent start in Campeonato Brasileiro and a good draw vs Flamengo. Well done on getting to the semis of Copa Kia do Brasil. Looking good for a mid table finish early on.

Money in Brazil is not that good unless you have got you own TV deal like Santos.

Thanks, Scarman and Welsh Wizard. Palmeiras is just a strong team; you can see if in their play. As for Santos, both Ganso and Neymar as still on the squad, but Neymar is unhappy.

Originally Posted by B.W.G

Did well in the Paulista,Palmeiras were just too good on the day.Made a good start to the league and Corinthians start is very shocking indeed!

Perhaps another big name club heading down to join Santos?

Originally Posted by BadManager

A good showing in the Paulistao, and a decent start in the big league. The 2-1 losses would appear to be competitive at least, so no bad results yet. To me that suggests that if form holds up and injuries stay away, you should be able to gather enough points to survive - surely the first aim is survival - and if you get a run on at some stage maybe push up the table a bit.
Making the semi-finals of the Copa Kia do Brasil is no small matter either. All good stuff.

And thanks for your explanation of the Brasil system earlier on, I was among the confused who now thinks they understand enough to get by.

It seems as though Cerud's gamble has paid off. The Canadian manager has been in talks with Anji Makhachkala over taking over the managerial position now that Gadji Gadjiev has retired. Cerud has been linked with the job throughout the year and applied a week ago after the position became vacant. Santo André have been understand of their manager throughout the negotiation period, but while betting has expired on the position, nothing has been signed.

In 9 matches with Santo André this year, we have only 1 win, 4 losses, and 4 ties. I knew that it was going to be a fight, but we simply can't compete with the big money clubs. I could probably eke out a survival run, but Anji is an established Russian club and they are gearing up for Europa league football this season.

In a move which has been speculated for a week now, Cerud has joined Anji as their new manager. This marks the Canadian manager's first movement in club football, leaving Santo André where his career began. While there has been debate as to whether the young manager is ready to handle a higher level club, Cerud seemed calm while talking to reporters. Outside of the Moscow training grounds, Cerud stated,

"Santo André is like your first girlfriend. They never quite leave you. I will remember my time in Brazil and with the club as the place that gave an inexperienced foreign manager a chance. Or rather, we both took chances on each other. While I like to think that it paid off for everyone involved, it's also time for new challenges. [Chairman] Kerimov has been generous in his praise over the past six months, not only of me, but of Santo André in general. Now that [former manager] Gadjiev has retired, i know that we will have the time to build Anji into one of the most dominant clubs in Russia and in Europe."

Cerud leaves Santo André having brought them back to the Brasileirão from Série C.

I have been mentioned in news reports for the past six month with this job, so when it came open, I felt that I had to apply. This is a much bigger club and will give me the ability to grow my reputation better than I could have in Santo André. This is a good career move and the kind that I am wanting to do.

In a formal announcement in front of their practice grounds in Moscow today, Anji officially unveiled their new manager, Canadian-born Cerud. Cerud joins from Santo André in Brazil, where he achieved back-to-back promotions. Over the past week, Russian media has debated as to whether the manager has what it takes to manage in Europe; however, the Chairman has given his full approval as the players as schedules to return from their break in a couple weeks time.

FC Anji Makhachkala - SOGAZ Prem'er Liga

The club has offered me a huge pay raise from what I was making in Santo André. I have signed a $900 000/year until the end of 2016, a 3 year contract. They offered 4 years at a little lower, but I felt that I could show them what I'm capable of and then demand a higher salary in a few years time.

About the Club

The club is relatively new, having only been formed in 1991. They are based out of Makhachkala on the west coast of the Caspian Sea. However, due to hostilities in the region, the club actually lives and trains in Kratovo, a village just outside of Moscow. They only fly in for their home matches.

In their inaugural season, the club played in the republic league for Dagestan, going undefeated. With the dis****ion of the Soviet Union later that year, they began in the 2nd Division of Russian football, winning that in their third year of existance. However, due to restructuring, they were not promoted to the 1st Division until 1996. In 2000, they won promotion to the Premier League only to be relegated a year later. In 2009, they rejoined the Premier League and have rapidly gained a fan base due to the signing of Samuel Eto'o in 2011.

A lot more money available with Anji, but the Board expectations are also higher. However, they are achievable. The squad is decent, but I hope i can make a few key additions. I have noticed one odd thing...out of all my backroom staf, one coach is making more than the rest combined. No idea why a coach is pulling in over $7M a year...

Both Chairman Kerimov and Manager Cerud were on hand to unveil plans to upgrade youth facilities and coaching. Cerud, who was involved in youth development at his previous club, wants to be able to grow homegrown prospects in order gain a competitive edge against other clubs in the league.

"Today, we have a good first step. The Board has understood our vision for the future and given the go ahead to move forward. We want to continue going forward, bringing the youth in the Makhachkala area into sport. This is not only for the club, it is for the community as a whole."

Our junior coaching has moved up from Adequate to Average. Currently, our youth facilities are Minimal, so by October 2014, they should rise a notch.

The Gold Cup has now started and my Costa Rican squad looks ready to go. Unfortunately, we have been hit be three injuries before we've even played our first match and there's no time to call up replacements. So, we go on without.

We took down the hosts! The United States were hosting the Gold Cup this year and were probably looking to hoist it on their turf. It was an edgy game for most of it. However, going into the half, even though the United States were controlling possession, we ended up 2 goals up from brilliant counter attacking movement along the sides. They pulled one back to make it a game, but we immediately hit back, not once but twice to put away the match and make it look more one sided than it really was.

The Semi Finals

Here are the semi final match ups.

Would have liked to have gone up against Panama, but at least it's not Mexico.

Squad | Transfers - Not much movement. I'm having a difficult, or rather, impossible time signing anyone who is Russian. They don't want to play for me which is a problem because I'm only allowed 6 foreign players in my starting 11. In addition, players don't even gain Russian citizenship. Not sure if that's a glitch or that just Russian law.

I ony brought in one player during my reign so far, a young goalkeeper who I hope I can train and mentor up into at least a decent back up.

Sergey Revyakin - GK - Only rated as a potential 2 star goalkeeper, I'm hoping that we can change that. I have some good goalkeeping mentors in the 1st squad which should be able to help.

Pre-Season Thoughts

A short and sweet pre-season, mainly to get tactically sound. I've also changed my tactical usage somewhat. It's still a 442 flat, but it's a little more defensive minded. I hated bleeding all those goals in Brazil and hope I can stop that here.

One note, Samuel Eto'o's contract is up at the end of this season and he doesn't want to stay. It looks like I'll either have to figure a way to convince him to stay or trade him before January. Man, I need Russians to sign wth me!

Honduras was strong, but we met them at all points. We began quickly with a goal in the 4th minute from competition leader Saborío. By the end of the half, we were up 2-1. Soborío added one more in the 83rd minute to seal to win and our trip to the finals

So, when you get 7 yellow cards, 1 red card, and a penalty kick against your squad and it's still the first half, that's when you realize the other team must have offered the referee a tidy sum of money as a bribe. This match was ludicrous. A completely onesided events by the referee. Even the match report stated as such, denying the penalty was even a penalty.

Overall, the competition went well. We finished above the semi final position that our Board wanted. We can look back with pride.

The beginning of the league was half and half. We lost to a fierce rival, but rebounded against Krasnodar. We're still becoming proficient tactically, so I'm willing to give leniency...for a while.

Rambler Kubok Rossii

The Kubok Rossii is Russia's major domestic cup competition. We begin in the 6th Round because of our position in the top league. First up, was Salyut Belgorod. An easy match in which we dominated. They are a lower league club and simply not up to the standard of our play and squad.

The Standings

So, after one month, we are 50% in wins and have an even goal difference. I'm hoping that all of this is simply due to the squad needing to become tactically aware. I'm also still looking for players, especially a replacement for Samuel Eto'o. Unfortunately, no one of that calibre would ever consider us. It's looking as though I'll have to trade him so that he doesn't just simply leave on a free.

A good tournament with Costa Rica in the CONCACAF but shame on losing to Mexico.

Thanks SRL88. I'm think of leaving Costa Rica now and focusing on Anji. They didn't qualify for the World Cup, so there's no much to do with them.

Originally Posted by deltablue

Anzhi (only on FM12 have they used 'Anji' so that's the form I'm used to) should be good with all that money, if you can find people that want to come.

Yeah, I saw that everything uses Anzhi, just FM is different. I already like to research clubs and the cities that they are in before I move to them in order to see if it's a job and place I would really go to and it came up in that. I'll probably keep using Anji though just cause that's what is in game.

Originally Posted by B.W.G

Very good performance with Costa Rica,shame about losing to Mexico.Not too bad a start with Anji/Anzhi but it still early days.

After a presentable showing in the Gold Cup, Costa Rican team manager Cerud has decided to end his tenure with the nation. While undefeated up until the final match, Mexico was simply too strong a side for the small Central American squad to deal with.

"Costa Rica has a good set up and good youth coming in that will keep them competitive for awhile. However, with little chance of competitive football for the next year, I feel that stepping down now will give my successor ample time to galvanize the squad and make it stronger for the competitions that will follow. Enjoyed my time here, but my focus has to be with Anji."

Costa Rica National Football Team - Costa Rican Football Federation

Costa Rica didn't qualify for the World Cup, so there wouldn't be much to do for a couple years. I can use this time to help Anji now.

Managerial National Record

Plans

Nothing concrete in terms of national football. The United States just sacked their manager after a bad friendly and I know the Canadian manager is in a precarious position. If a nation asks, I'll see. Otherwise, I don't think that I'm going to go actively looking right now.

We're starting to make our presence known in Russia. Strong wins, including against fierce rivals Spartak Moscow, have helped us tactically and in morale. We are a strong squad who believes they can win, regardless of the happen.

UEFA Europa League

Our Europa League campaign offically got underway as well, beginning in Croatia. We made easy work of Zagreb as well as Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi. We have now made the group stages. Ours includes:

Greece's Olympiacos

Austria's FC Red Bull Salzburg

France's Amiens

I believe this should be a group that we can qualify from. I also think we got lucky, especially in looking at a few other groups.

Transfers

A few more transfers made, Two notable ones; I signed two strikers, one who was currently on laon with us already and one from my former club, Santo André.

Maxim Kanunnikov - ST - I paid $9.5M for Kanunnikov, my biggest signing ever. While that may seem like too much for a player of his stature, I believe he will end up worth it. Unfortunately, all his goal stats were erased when he switched over from loanee to owned, but he has been producing a solid amount of goals. He's also a Russian national, which is highly prized for a league that only allows 6 foreigners in the starting XI. Finally, he's only 22 years old. I've signed him to a 4 year deal so I will have him as he matures and grows into a top striker.

Carlos André - ST - I brought André to Santo André to be a back up striker. In the end, he became my main starter and top goalscorer for the club as well as the league. His stats have massively improved. He's young and was ready to test his skills in a bigger league. Plus, I'm listed as a favourite of his, so I knew that he would want to come. However, it did cost $5M to do it.

The Standings

We are looking good in the league. It's still very tight, but we're on pace for a good finish. My transfer moves basically broke the bank; we are sitting about $6.5M in the hole. However, they were needed. Plus, this frees me up to sell Samuel Eto'o and actually get something for him. I know that selling him will be unpopular, but it's either do it now, or not get anything at all as he leaves on a free transfer. I'd rather make some money.

Brazilian media sources were running rampant today at the rumour of Canadian manager Cerud returning to the Brasileirão. Dorival Júnior was fired earlier today at Internacional and Cerud has quickly emerged as the frontrunner to take over the popular Brazilian club. However, Cerud was unavailable for comment was his current club, Anji, was travelling back to Moscow after their recent home win against Rostov.

The tie against Dinamo Bryansk was annoying. It should have been a match to easily win. We hit them with everything for 90 minutes, but their goalkeeper played a brilliant game. However, we did beat Zenit! Zenit is our main competition as they were basically tied with us in the table. This win gives us a bit of an edge now, a place where we can grow a lead from.

Rambler Kubok Rossii

I had to combine this with the Europa League in the screenshot due to this forum's 4 pic rule. Still, it was a strong win against Amkar, another lower league club.

UEFA Europa League

Our first match in the groups stages sent us travelling to Austria to take on FC Red Bull Salzburg. It was a dominant win that I believe will set us up of for a good finish out of the group stages. FC Red Bull was likely our strongest competition in the group so to get this win...perfect.

The Standings

We now have a 3 point lead in the standings after 10 matches. We are officially a third of the way done with this campaign. I'm much happier with our defensive play than I was in Brazil too; looks like tactical changes have paid off. On another note though, I'm having trouble unloading Samuel Eto'o. I had an offer from Italian Serie A side, Fiorentina. It was a decent one too, but Eto'o rejected it on several grounds. I may need to lower my asking price to attract more clubs. Carlos André has stepped in nicely though. He's played four matches so far, scoring in each one!

I fired him the day I took the job. He was a first team coach making $7.25M/year until 2017. There's no way a coach needs to be paid that much. He bought out for relatively cheap compared to his contact and went on his way.

Originally Posted by cswalk08

Great work! Russia seems to be treating you well.

Did the USA Coach (deservedly) get fired after the Gold Cup?

The United States lost only one match in the group stages against Jamaica, but then they met up with my Costa Rican squad in the Quarter Finals. We trounced them 4-1. Klinsmann was allowed one more match against Honduras in the World Cup Qualifiers to try and get it together, but ended up in a disappointing tie. I think the US Board wanted more than a Quarter Final finish and were probably justified in firing him. They've hired Dominic Kinnear and he's won the next 4 World Cup Qualifying matches and clinched a sport in the competition. Looks like the right choice so far.

Unfortunately, we've been hit with a few injuries. There was a break for international matches and three of my players returned injured. Due to the strict starting XI rules in the Liga, I have had to now use reserve and youth players in order to fulfill the Russian player mandate. This has hurt us somewhat. Still, we have come away with three league victories out of four, including a big one against CSKA Moscow, a near rival on the standings table.

UEFA Europa League

Commanding win against Amiens only to fall short against Olympiacos. Again, our injuries hurt us as well as a generally tired squad. We have dropped to 2nd in our group standings, but should still qualify.

The Standings

The table has us 4 points up on our closest opposition with most teams at the halfway mark. We also have a match in hand, which should help us in making a bigger point lead down the road. On the Samuel Eto'o saga, it's looking like he may be sticking around. I can't find a team to pick up his crazy contract demands, which sucks because we will end up losing out on a substantial transfer fee. I could have used the money. Our Board just injected $1.6M to help with costs, but we are losing money pretty bad right now, mainly because our ticket prices are insanely low. Season tickets are barely over $70 and a match is about $5. I'd like to see those figures increased 5 or 10-fold. However...unlikely.

In an effort to protect Anji from league intervention, Chairman Kerimov has initiated a debt restructing initiative to aid the financially distressed club. The goal is seems is to keep the club afloat and hope to league position and prize money to help in the long run. Anji manager Cerud will be counted on to guarantee top finishes for years to come.

Never seen this before! Unfortunately, all it means is that my Chairman gave us a personal loan of $17.75M. It also means that instead of the monthly $408K I was paying in loan repayments, I now have to pay $610K per month. Great... I'm beginning to understand why developing nations hate the IMF...

The Chairman has a net worth of $7.8 billion. But gives a loan instead of put money in the club and changing ticket prices(Which are very cheap) to attempt to even the books . As long as he gives decent wage budgets and transfers funds to buy the best Russians as will be a while till your able to produce your own then you should be able to cope with it and stay competitive.

The Chairman has a net worth of $7.8 billion. But gives a loan instead of put money in the club and changing ticket prizes(Which are very cheap) to attempt to even the books . As long as he gives decent wage budgets and transfers funds to buy the best Russians as will be a while till your able to produce your own then you should be able to cope with it and stay competitive.

Yep, a loan. But this is not the first. Out of my 3 loans, 2 are with my gracious Chairman. We met be a billionaire, but he likes t line his own pockets.

In a complete surprize move, Anji manager has been able to keep his star player, Samuel Eto'o, signing his to a 2 year contract extension. While the specifics of the deal have not been made public, it is believed from inside sources that Eto'o agreed to a wage reduction in order to help with the club's financial issues. The Makhachkala public are understandably delighted with the news, fearing that Eto'o would be soon leaving. At a press conference convened after the signing, Cerud stated:

"I am happy that we were able to come to an agreement that works for Anji and Samuel. He is a world class player who is currently having the best year of his career. I think we all can recognize the contributions he has had to the club, the sport, and to the fans who watch him play day in and day out. He is a class act and I am very happy that we have kept our captain."

Wow, did I get lucky! I figured if no one is going to take him, maybe he'll see the light. SO, I took him off transfer status and renewed negotiations. I got a very beneficial contract for the club. It is a 2 year extension at $10M a year (down from his previous $14M). Appearance and goal bonuses are unchanged. However, I did have to agree to a small Team of the Year Bonus ($500K) and a Relegation Release Clause. Since we're nowhere near getting relegated though, who cares? Eto'o is staying!

I think I would stomach $10 million a season a bit better with the form he's been on for you. You need to get back to the Champions League next season for the long term financial stability of the club.

I think I would stomach $10 million a season a bit better with the form he's been on for you. You need to get back to the Champions League next season for the long term financial stability of the club.

He's been lethal in front of the net. Although, Carlos Andre who I brought over from Santo Andre has been on a goal a game pace too.

Originally Posted by deltablue

You've got a bit of a financial time-bomb on your hands.

Yeah...I'm hoping to win the league and get a $10M payout from that. Then next year, have the Champions League. Wish I didn't need to rely on prize money though. We still have I think the 3rd highest wages in the league. Cutting Eto'o's wages helped. I've also just resigned another strike and got him to agree to a 50% wage cut and a move down to backup.

Originally Posted by ron6632

Wow. After reading this thread I can safely say I still haven't got the faintest idea about what is going on in Brazil!

Looks like you could be in for an interesting ride in Russia. Nice to see Eto'o staying though.

Ah Brazil...wins games and you should be going in the right direction!

Originally Posted by B.W.G

Good position in the league,hopefully you can get the league won and start getting money in from Europe.Nice to see Eto'o staying as well for a decreased salary of course

We're making changes in the right direction, albeit slow. I may need to get rid of a few high prices foreign players and try to find some lower cost Russians.

Originally Posted by AK22

Well done on a (almost) successful Gold Cup! Every time I see Costa Rica, for some reason, it always makes me think of Paulo Wanchope

How are you finding the squad restriction in Russia? Got a bit annoying after a while for me.

The squad rules are annoying. It's tough to find decent Russian players; they're all rated 1.5 stars and lower for the most part. I'm going to finish the season, probably stay for another, but I will also be looking for interesting offers.

After spending the first half of the season close to the relegation zone, The Lokomotiv Board has decided to fire Muslin from the position of manager. Rumours are flying as to who will take over the once dominant Russian club; however, it is current Anji manager Cerud who are emerged as the most likely contender. Cerud, for his part, has declined to comment, stating that he is focusing on his current job at hand.

Our injured players have slowly begun to return to the squad, giving us some good performances against Krasnodar and Volga. Interestingly, we played Lokomotiv quickly after the news linking me to the job. In the end, it was never offered. The loss to Kuban was annoying though. My backup goalkeeper has been asking for more playing time. No more. When I put him in, I may as well use a cardboard cutout.

UEFA Europa League

We have retaken top spot in our group with our second match against Olympiacos. This was an epic match! We went up 2-0 in the first half. Olympiacos fought back and scored three in a row by the 85th minute. I figured we were set for the loss, but two goals in stoppage time and we regained the lead!

The Standings

We still have our 4 point lead, but the big difference is between the top two clubs and 3rd place. Zenit has fallen hard in the past couple months and Lokomotiv faces possible relegation. With only 11 matches left in the season, we are headed into the winter break. No matches in the league for December, but I still have a couple Europa matches.